VHLM Prospect Discussion

[Molholt 2,185]

Wrote this a few days ago, now submitting for grading (already had PTs last week).

 

In honor of Adywer saying no one ever talks about the VHLM unless it is negative or one of my suggestions to change it, I will now try a different approach - generating content for the VHLM and seeing if it increases my own, or anyone else's, interest in the VHL's minor league system. For now, I'm taking a look at some of the top prospects that are preparing for the S53 VHL Entry Draft. Here are some thoughts on ten of the highest TPE prospects in the VHLM. This will be an article for next week since I've already done two for this week, but I might as well post it now.

 

Franchise Cornerstone - C - 176 TPE

 

Here is your early projection for first overall pick. According to the VHLSC, ran by Kendric and found here, he is dominating this class in total points earned so far, unsurprisingly. Cornerstone is Boubabi's 3rd player in the league, following Niklas Lindberg and Lord Karnage. I could list their achievements and accomplishments, but it would be much easier to simply direct you to the VHL Hall of Fame, where you can find more info on both of them. After retiring Karnage, boubabi waited awhile before creating his third player. Perhaps it was to give himself some time off to prepare for his next run at some all-time TPE records, such as his impressive totals with Lord Karnage. One thing is almost a certainty, if boubabi is dedicated to this player - which he has never NOT been in the VHL - he will create a Hall of Fame caliber player.  The already sizable lead in TPE and the past history of his in the league make him the clear favorite for 1st overall. The only concern with Cornerstone is if he is in fact committed to his player, but I think that's a non-issue. Given that he took a break to refresh AND he was active on the site during his break, I think he's here to stay and I'd be willing to bet he lives up to his name, and then some.

 

Lukas Muller - C - 122 TPE

 

I consider Solas a quiet member, because he sort of flies under the radar with his updates. He does the covers for the VHL Magazine, if you didn't know, which is a job that can be off the grid since he's not posting point tasks most of the time. Muller is his second player, his first, Theo Axellson, has nearly 600 TPE. Muller though, is the prospect. He looks to be a prototypical center, who has been developing his ability in the face-off circle, his passing skills and his skating ability. In a league that is always dominated by scorers and wingers, a pass-first center who can actually win face-offs for your team is very valuable. I see Muller being a top commodity come draft time.

 

Xander Finn - D - 103 TPE

 

There is a lot to like with Finn. First off, he's a defenseman, which are always needed. Second off, his agent, Jericho, made a defenseman that you may have heard of before - Daniel Braxton. Braxton for those of you who haven't been around longer than 10 seasons, was Connor Low before Connor Low. He dominated the Labatte Trophy for the New York Americans for nearly his entire career. He can be found in the Hall of Fame. Jericho also created a solid forward named Wesley Kellinger. But, here is where we get to the red flag portion of this writeup - his most recent player was Jax Barnstormer, a goalie that never really got off the ground in the VHL. Finn has the history at the position and an agent capable of producing a Hall of Fame caliber player - if he is committed and sticks it out for an entire career. Will he? I'm not sure, but he sure seems dedicated and rejuvenated since coming back and that makes him an exciting prospect. Will Xander Finn mimic the career path of Daniel Braxton or Jax Barnstormer? I sure hope its the former. 

 

Mist4ke - G - 100 TPE

 

Is anyone else excited about the possibility that these last two prospects provide? Remember when I was talking about Daniel Braxton just a moment ago? His career partner in New York was Benjamin Glover, a fellow Hall of Famer who sat in net for the Americans for his entire career. You might've figured this part out, but Glover was managed by Streetlight. A Jericho defenseman and Streetlight goalie came into the league at the same time once before and had Hall of Fame careers - will history repeat itself? I'd critique his build, but he's a goalie so he's essentially working on everything and there isn't much interesting about that. Streetlight has been around forever and has a history of some really solid players, but none quite as legendary as Glover. If he can recreate that success, it should be an amazing selection for whoever takes him on draft day. If they can pair him with Finn? Magic just might happen.

 

Rubber Band - G - 91 TPE

 

I'm gonna be honest here, as a GM, this is the riskiest pick you could possibly make in almost any draft. Listing past players would be difficult, as Trifecta has a tendency to retire very early. He's also been known to be a bit of a headache to manage as a GM. However, there is a history of having successful players if he sticks around with one. Davey Jones was a respectable center for the Davos Dynamo during their mid to late-30s dominance. DT's Nicklaus (sp?) Mikaelson was a solid goalie for the Seattle Bears, although both of them had slightly shorter careers they did last much longer than most of his players. If he sticks around with a player, he has the activity level to make a solid player. However, he may have burned too many bridges for anyone to risk a high pick on him. That gives him the potential to be a steal in this draft though, if anyone can get a gauge on how committed he is to this player. 

 

Romon Sokolov - D - 87 TPE

 

Beketov has been around forever, literally since the very beginning. That's 50+ seasons of players and yet, somehow, this is a first for his player agency. You'd think that he'd have done it all in the VHL, but that would not be the case - this is Beketov's first ever defenseman, and I'm excited to see what happens with him. You might recognize the name Beketov from one of the VHL's trophies, the Alexander Beketov Trophy, which is given to the player with the most assists in a season. This is just one in a long line of successful players that Sharpe has had in his career. While Alexander Beketov might be the most successful in terms of accolades and longevity (he's a Hall of Famer), there has been no shortage of quality players produced by Sharpe. I think Sokolov can be one of the most consistent TPE earners in this class. He's proven that by being around forever, but also by producing one of the VHL's better weekly products, the CoDcasts (the most recent one can be found here). Of our defenseman we've seen, Sokolov is the safer pick, despite being slightly behind in TPE currently. I think he's going to be a productive starter for an entire career, which is his worst case scenario. I think, and hope, he'll be a Hall of Fame caliber player during his career, perhaps this will be the start of Beketov making only defenseman from now on. He's waited 50 seasons, its time for him to have a few!

 

John Locke - LW - 80 TPE

 

Can we talk about how stacked this draft is so far? This is the 7th guy I've talked about so far and he's a commissioner. He's not the only one on the list either. Draper is a member of our blue team and as such, is very active. He's had great success with his past players, Don Draper and Aleksi Koponen (who is playing his final season in the VHL). We're talking about a guy who has produced two Hall of Fame caliber players in his time here and is also a league commissioner, so I'd say that he's going to be a great pick. While I've never been on a team with Draper, I imagine he's a class act to have in the locker room as well. Plus, you can bug him about things that need done around the league, so that's always convenient. Draper has had a great defenseman and a great center, I expect him to finish Locke's career with a great left wing. 

 

Motherfucker Sharpe - RW - 77 TPE

 

This is our second commissioner on the list and the third is going straight to his team through the GM rule, so you can safely say that the second player portion of this draft class was definitely rigged. There are a few players that you may have heard of including Jardy Bunclewirth, CAL G (both Hall of Famers) and more recently, Sandro Clegane. Clegane is coming off of one of the most impressive goalie battles in Continental Cup history as well as a stellar regular season in which he broke the shutouts record for a year (which was previously owned by CAL G). You may have guessed, but these are all players managed by Jardy. That means that Sharpe is in line to be the next great player that he produces. Plus, Jardy is our league simmer, so even if he doesn't make the best player on paper - he can make the best player in the sim. He's also nice to have on your team, because that incentivizes him to help your team win in the sim as well! It's like a win-win if you draft him. Perhaps the best part is the occasional, and rare, drunk story in the locker room. I've experienced a few myself and they are well worth the draft pick. He's gonna be a good one.

 

Jakub Pastrnak - LW - 77 TPE

 

While Clardy isn't a first-gen member, that's essentially what Pastrnak is. He hasn't had the past success of some of our previous entrees (although not many people have), yet looks to be on a good track with this player. That's really the ultimate question with Clardy and Pastrnak - do you trust him to stay active throughout an entire career? If you do, then he can be a steal, as he has shown an ability to earn TPE at a high level. If you don't, you might de-value him a little bit and hope he falls in the draft to a later, safer pick. No one wants to bust with a top pick and Clardy presents that as a bigger possibility than some of our previous prospects. I have high hopes for Pastrnak, as this could be what kicks off a very successful new VHL member. I hope the early fire of activity continues to burn and we see him near the top of everyone's list come draft time. He's pretty early in his development, but he looks to be focusing on scoring early on. Given the tendency of most players to favor that and his position, I think he'd be a good pairing with some of the pass-first centers we mentioned earlier. 

 

Fredinamijs Krigars - C - 57

 

I hope you never have to spell this name without being able to see it right next to you. That first name is a mouthful. Hedgehog is a solid member, I had him on my team in Toronto with Benjamin Zeptenbergs and he helped us start off our dynasty. I kinda envision Krigars being very similar in what I would expect out of him. I think Krigars is going to be a very important role player throughout his career as his worst case scenario. He's the kind of player who rounds out a team that wants to contend and helps them become a real contender. However, I think there is some good potential that he goes past that threshold and becomes a perennial all-star type player. I think Hedgehog is ready to take that next step and be more of a star than just a role player. Either way, he's going to be around in the VHL for awhile and will be a solid addition to anyone that gets him. I've seen it first hand.

 

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What are your thoughts on these 10? What other prospects do you think will fly under the radar and make a big impact? Sound off in the comments below.

[Da Trifecta 1,902]

Niklaus @Molholt

[JardyB10 4,868]

I thought this was posted in the MS section last week...

[scoop 3,447]

4 hours ago, JardyB10 said:

I thought this was posted in the MS section last week...

It was in the writing section